The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-18
INSIDE OF "WOOTrEN."

George W. Childs's Beautiful Country House
and a Peep at Its Trimmings.
The heavy entrance door has an upper and
lower section. SO that the upper part can be
opened to let in air or look out without unfas-
sening the lower portion At one side of the
vestibule before the house is entered at ALL
there is a courtroom and lavatory. where visit
ors can arrange their toilet. if necessary some
times matter of importance after a dusty ride
on the cars drive tramp of nearly two
miles from the station hot day. The effect
made upon entering the high square hall beyond
the vestbule is both pleasing and impressive.
The hall is like large apartment, and square.
except where the carved-oak staircase ascends
in short angles on the lift On the tops of the
two posts of this staircase the carved figures
of dog and cat that have been favorites in Mr..
Childs's household-the one the time honored
symbol of fidelity and friendship, and the other OF
domesticity. The pets are both dead, but the
pleasure they gave and the devotion they showed
are perpetuated in this way by making them
permanent fixtures of the freside upon which
they both look down. The entire sides of the
hall and the ceiling well, are of white ma
hoganv or butternut wood In square panels.
The divans and easy chairs in corners and stand
ing about are upholstered in olive plush, with
the narrow strips across the few tables match
ing in color and carpet to correspond. On
some of the tables in the hall as in other
rooms are tall ss-legeed parasol lamps. three
feet high more, with wreaths of artificial
roses around the wide shades. The most OF
the light to the hall is given by ground glass
window six or eight feet square, above the
first low landing of the staircase where it
makes turn. On this window tsaid to be the
only thing of the sort in this country IS de-
picted life-siZe in colors pointer and a setter
in the celery and cat-tails of Chesapeake Bay,
and canvas backed and red-head ducks taking
fight.
In his Wootten house Mr.. Childs, instead OF
numbering the limited space with new-fangled
veneering and elaborate and excruciatinc exam
Piles of modern house-furnishing ART, has, with
much care and expense, accumulated great
many antique and really beautiful and artistic
pieces of furniture that are not only interesting
in themselves, but have a special interest, some
times even an historic interest from their asso-
citation He has. for instance. a whole set of
dining chairs brought over from Leeds Castle
by Lord Fairfax. the patron of Washing ton, and
used by him at Greenway Court where he en-
tertained the greatest celebrities OF colonial
days. He also has card-tabe from the same
old historic source, at which Washington in his
early days and Fairfax sat and played whist,
and even the memorandum in Washingtons own
handwriting of his winnings and losses night
after night. Another table, of italian work
manship, that belonged to Lord Byron, is the
one on which he wrote don Juan" and other
celebrated poems-a fact attested by an auto
graph letter from Murray, his publisher. On
the sideboard in the diningroom is an odd and
very elegant little wine cooler that belonged to
the first Napoleon, out of whose recesses issued
the rotations that no doubt helped on those ebu-
litions of wrath and egotism that finally aided.
no doubt, in the downfall of the would be con-
queror of the world. Mr. Childs never uses
it himself, being content with an Apolinaris-
water bottle. Most of the historic furniture
is mahogany. that wood now rare. and
although the pieces look venerable they are
so we'll preserved and so well made and of such
excellent material that, like the owner of the
premises they do not look so old as they are.
There great many other interesting things
here and there in the different rooms, such as
autograph volumes of all the leading American
authors in the library, the remarkable album OF
Mrs. S. E. Hall, containing autograph contrihu-
tons from most of tho leading English celebri.
ties of the past half century, and one OF
the mantels superb cast at the Doulton
works in memory of Mrs. Childs's visit TO the
Kensington Museum and bearing the inscription:
Presented to Mrs. George W. Child from Sir
Philip Cunlife Owen in remembrance of her
many acts of genial kindness and generosity to
all classes Of her English cousins"